Apple Starts Flogging Gear on eBay?

Posted by michaels| Tue, Nov 20, 2012 - 6:21 PM

A few weeks ago, a mysterious Apple refurbished store opened on eBay. Neither Apple nor eBay will confirm whether the store, labeled only “Refurbished Outlet” is actually run by Apple. However, 9 To 5 Mac report that they have verified that this is indeed an Apple run eBay store, but don’t say how they know. The eBay store has hidden corporate information, but “nothing in the way of contact information or a traceable backend”. The store is rated with 99.7% positive buyer reviews, but there’s no information on where the gear is coming from.

The store is currently in a trial mode, offering gear at the same prices as the Apple Store’s refurbished prices across the board. Unlike Apple’s official store that collects taxes across the US, this one charges only customers in California, DC, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, and Texas. Given that the prices are the same as the official Apple Store and the identity of this seller is uncertain, it may be wise to abstain from buying there until its identity is known for sure.

Aside from the image fonts above, which are an uncharacteristic wreck, there are many telltale signs of Apple’s direct involvement. Just like Apple’s own refurbished products, the “refurbished outlet” products all have the following: